ABSTRACT
In-house breeding of animals of any species takes a deliberate effort and recognition of the costs not only in direct expenses, but also in animal numbers, space allocation, genetic monitoring, labor, and expertise. A primary decision impacting many academic researchers is the sourcing method of research models; options include commercial repositories and internal breeding. Such decisions should be considered carefully, as there are financial and ethical implications for the different approaches. If single, irregular, or rare cohorts are required, an alternative breeding strategy is to burst mate. Nutrition has a major influence on the growth and health of individual animals, and the productivity of breeding units. Rodent bedding serves to absorb moisture and provide nesting material and warmth, and enables natural behaviors, such as burrowing. Environmental enrichment is altering the living environment of an animal to provide opportunities to express more of their natural repertoire of behaviors.
